Six Temples at Thebes 1896/Chapter 9

by Wilhelm Spiegelberg

CHAPTER IX.

THE INSCRIPTIONS.

By Dr. Wilhelm Spiegelberg.

42. Plate I, XVIIIth Dynasty. Fig. 1. The signs above the front figure probably give his name, Aa . kheper . ka . ra . teku, and the title hen . ka "the ka priest"; but this is not quite certain in the present broken state. Perhaps teku may be separate from the king's name, and on comparison with Fig. 2, where the compounded royal name has no cartouche, this is the more likely. It might be asked if teku is not a mistake for tekenu, the human sacrifice discussed with much insight by M. Maspero in the tomb of Mentuhikhopeshef (Mem. Miss. Arch. Fr. V 438 f.f.). Unfortunately there is not enough of the scene to show if it was one of human sacrifice. Fig. 2 shows a priest of Amen, and a man named Aa . kheper . ka . ra . senb. Both pieces are evidently from one tomb of the time of Tahutmes I, which had been broken up for building material under Tahutmes IV.

Fig. 3. A tablet showing a woman, Baket, sacrificing to "Hathor lady of heaven, mistress of the two lands." Below is the dedication, with some orthographic blunders, to "Hathor, lady of heaven, mistress of the gods, that she may give milk, oxen, geese, and all good and pure things to the ka of the engraver of Amen, Amen . em. . het. His beloved wife, the mistress of the house, Baket"

Fig. 4. Part of an altar inscribed "The first prophet of Tahutmes III, Ra says, 'Hail to thee Ra in thy rising, hidden in thy setting. Beautiful in thy shining … on the back of thy mother. Thou shinest as king of the cycle of nine gods. Thou makest (dry [k?]) [life?] to every one (her neb?). The goddess of truth embraces thee always. Thou courseth through (nemtak) the heaven, thy heart being glad. The sea of the two swords has become …… his arms ……'" The prophet named here is known also by another inscription (L.D. iii, 62b), where he has the titles "high priest of Amen in the tomb-temple of Tahutmes III, Ra" (see Spiegelberg in Rec. Trav. xix, 87).

Fig. 5. A fragment of the splendid hard limestone colossus of Amenhotep in, reading "lord of the lands in …"

Fig. 6. Part of a limestone tablet with figures of "The lady of the house, Nefret . ári," "His daughter …" "The son Pendua," "His son Nen," "His son Pendeh[n]et." The latter name means "the man of the goddess Dehnet" who is a form of the goddess of the Theban necropolis, Meritsegret.

Fig. 7. A sandstone tablet with Tahutmes IV before a god, probably Amen. The end of inscription remaining is redát mu "giving water," showing that the king was offering water. Below is, "For I have settled (gerget na) the fortress of Tahutmes IV among the tribes of Palestine [with everything] his majesty took in the town of Qaza ……" Perhaps "Tahutmes IV among the tribes of Palestine" is the proper name of the fortress, like one names "Tahutmes III the encloser of the Sati" (Annals, L.D. iii, 32, line 21). The name Qaza … might be conjecturally restored, Qa-za-ua-da-na (Müller, Asien und Europa, 335), a vassal land of the king of the Khita; here it might be a town of the land of Qa-za-ua-da-na, the well-known "town of the Kanaan" is a parallel to this.

Fig. 8. Sandstone tablet of "The good god Tahutmes IV endowed with life" before "Amen-Ra lord of heaven" offering bread. Amen says, "I have settled the vile Kush, I have guided his majesty in his victories." If the construction of these parallel inscriptions is treated aright here, these tablets were dedicated in the temple of Tahutmes IV in honour of his victories in Syria and Ethiopia.

43. Plate II, Fig. 1. Wooden ushabti of Nehi, the well-known viceroy of Ethiopia, under Tahutmes III, with the usual text, "O, thou figure, if the viceroy of Ethiopia Nehi is ordered to do works that are done there in the nether world as it is his duty (?), to cultivate the fields, to irrigate the banks, to carry the sand of the east to the west, [say] I am here!"

Fig. 2. Part of an ushabti figure (?) inscribed, "[Lord] of the two lands, Tahutmes I, beloved of Amen of Karnak."

Fig. 3 is an alabaster figure of Amenhotep II from his temple.

Plate III, Figs, 1, 2, 3, 5. "The good god Amenhotep II, beloved of Amen."

Fig. 4. "The good god Amenhotep II, endowed with life."

Fig. 19. Part of a glazed tube gives to Amenhotep III the title, "beloved of the cycle of nine gods of the royal jubilees." This jubilee is named also on Figs. 14 ("great in jubilees"), 15 ("rich in jubilees"), and 16, 18.

Fig. 23. Wine stamp of limestone, reading, "Wine of the west river," that is, the Canopic branch of the Nile. (Brugsch. Geog. 88).

Fig. 24. A stamp cut in pottery reading, "House of Aten."

Fig. 25. "Aa . kheperu . ra shining upon the throne of Ra." This scarab was probably made in honour of the coronation day of Amenhotep II, for kha seems—amongst other meanings—to be used for the enthronement of a king.

Fig. 26. Prenomen of Amenhotep III.

Fig. 27. "The divine wife of Amon …"

44. Plate V. Fig. 5. "Amenhotep II." Fig. 6. "Year 26, Vine dresser Pinehas."

Plate VIII. Fig. i. Piece of a rude stele, with "the good god Tahutmes IV" adoring a Syrian war goddess on horseback. I should be inclined to think, from existing indications, that this is the goddess Asit (Müller, Asien und Europa, 316).

Fig. 2. Table of offerings. Left hand, "Offering which the king gives to Osiris Khentamenti, the Great God, Lord of Abydos, that he may give all offerings, all provisions, all good and pure things to the Osiris Tás-nub, the deceased." Right hand, "Offering which the king gives to Osiris Un-nefer the Great God, the Prince of Eternity, that he may give all offerings, all provisions, and all good and pure things to the ka of the Osiris Tas-nub the deceased." Below is the full title, "The Osiris, singer of the harim (hes khenu) Tás-nub." Usually the title is singer of the harim of Amen, and that might be lost in the erasure, if written with n in an oval. As this title only occurs in this orthography between the XXIInd and XXVIth dynasty, so far as I know, it would give an approximate age for the tablet.

Fig. 3. A tablet, found in the temple of Merenptah, "made by the watchman of the temple of millions of years (the Ramesseum) Pen-rannut, the deceased, of Thebes," who adores "the able spirit of Ptaḥ-ḥes" who is seated before him.

Fig. 4. Tablet held by a kneeling figure, in grey granite, "Praise to Ra in [his] rising … till his setting in the west, [by] the royal scribe Sesh (or Nai), the deceased. [I] come to thee, praised be thy beauties (read nefruk) … praised be thy soul always (r terui), grant [me] to be in the nether world every day."

45. Plate IX. Fig. 1. Limestone tablet, reused in the buildings of the forecourt of Tahutmes IV. "An offering which the king gives to Osiris Khentamenti, the Great God, Lord of the Necropolis, that he may give the funeral sacrifice of bread, beer, oxen, geese, linen cloths, vegetables, oil, thousands of all good and pure things, offerings, provisions, liquids, and all vegetables, which the heaven gives, the earth creates, and the Nile brings out of his source; [that he may give] the sweet wind of the north, and the drink from the whirlpool (?) of the river to the ka of the follower of his word on water and on land, in the foreign lands of the south and of the north. The fighter against the lands of the barbarians, who chastises every one who is revolting against the king in the land of the Retenu, filling the heart of the Good God, Athu-usir. He says, 'O, you living ones on earth, every priest, every scribe, every reciter who beholds this statue, the image of my body upon earth, remember …'" The text ceasing here may have been continued on the lost part below, with perhaps the meaning "remember my name, and say the dedicatory formula of offerings." A rather similar address occurred at Koptos (see "Koptos" Pl. XVIII, 3. p. 17). The inscription of the lesser figure shows that the stele was dedicated to Athu-asar "by his beloved son, who makes his name to live, the stable-master of the Lord of the two lands Min-mes, renewing the life, the vassal of Osiris." The style of the work, which retains the traditions of the middle kingdom, gives the date as being early in the XVIIIth dynasty.

Fig. 2. The inscription from the back of the white bust of the queen (Pl. VI, 3, 4) refers in the first line to several dignities in the harim of some gods. These offices are denoted by the names of instruments, as is shown by the title sesheshy[t] en Mut, "the player of the sistrum of Mut." (This title "shesh shyt" occurs among those of queen Titi, see De Rouge, Inscr. Hist 249). Probably therefore the other titles are of similar nature. With sesheshet are sometimes named other instruments, menat and sekhem (Erman, Pap. Westcar, p. 61), though the latter reading is doubtful, but based on the demotic papyrus of Leiden I, 384 8132. The men at the close of the first line may have been menyt, and the title before Amen-Ra may have been the office composed with the sekhem. So I should translate—

"The … playeress of Amen Ra, the sistrum playeress of Mut, the menat playeress of [Khonsu] … Sais, the danceress (aheb[et]) of Horus …" If this view of the reconstruction of the text is right, the queen had among other titles those of a lady of the harim of the Theban Triad. Unfortunately there is nothing in the inscription to reveal the name of the queen.

Fig. 3. This, and the following up to Fig. 20, depend upon Prof. Petrie's hand copies, as I have not seen the originals. Figs. 3 to 9 are inscriptions upon the bases of the colossal jackals which formed the avenue of approach to the temple of Amenhotep III. Fig. 3 reads "… his inheritance, his kingdom [and] his throne, realising what he was doing in the land. His companion as king of the living. The two lands of Horus are under the direction ('plan' or 'design') of the Lord of the two lands Neb-maatra … slaying the tribes of the Sati, the good God the brilliant image of Ra, shining like the sun's disc, Horus of the gods (or 'amongst the gods,' but this orthography of nuter would be very unusual at this time) with variegated feathers (?), for he has embraced the two lands with his wings, the son of Ra, Lord of the sword, Amenhotep prince of Thebes …"

Fig. 4, "Great (?) in knowledge, there is nothing he does not know in heaven and earth, giving rule to the Spirits, who go forth at the sign of his eyes (? reading semed n drtif[i]) the king of Upper and Lower Egypt Neb-maat-[ra] … The golden Horus, great by the sword, slaying the Sati. The southerners are coming to him on their bellies, the northerners on account of the power of his spirits. No land stays behind him (ignores him?). The son of Ra, Amenhotep. …"

Fig. 5. "… great in vigour he has made [it] by his arms like the Lord of Thebes (Amen) … slaying the Sati, not …"

Fig. 6. "[Neb] maat [Ra], heir of Ra, beloved of Amen Ra, endowed with life."

Fig. 7. "… fluid of life, firmness, purity (?), health, gladness."

Fig. 8. "… in placing his fear amongst the hidden … his terror is going through the lands, acting by his arms, making the two lands know the king of Upper and Lower Egypt, Lord of the sword, Neb-maat-ra … slaying the Sati, overthrowing in all lands those who rebel against him, making foreign lands to be heaps of corpses, wounding (?) them, the terror of him is amongst all foreign lands, the son of Ra, Amen[hotep]."

Fig. 9. "[Neb] maat [Ra], image of Ra, beloved of Amen, endowed with life." "Amenhotep, prince of Thebes, beloved of Amen in eternity." "The fluid of life, firmness, purity, health, and gladness supports him like Ra every day in eternity." "… son of Ra, beloved, endowed with life." "… beloved of [Nehbet]-kau (?) like Ra."

Figs. 10–24. These graffiti are painted on the blocks of building stone, as masons' marks; they are not all comprehensible, and I only state what seems to me fairly clear. Figs. 11, 12, bear the name of a building of "the town" or "the south city" (Thebes); with ankh uas added, which elsewhere means the king's palace (Rec. Trav. xix. 89, 3). The first two signs may be the name of the building, perhaps of the temple of Tahutmes IV, where this was found. Fig. 13 reads nefer renpit, "good years," which I noticed also on blocks of the temple at Deir El Babri. It may be the name of a man. Fig. 24 reads "position of filling," that is, the level of the sand filling of the foundation. It was written on a large pebble in the side of the foundation trench of Tausert's temple; a longer example of such inscription will appear amongst the ostraca of the Ramesseum.

Figs. 14 to 18, 21, and unnumbered piece 25. These are the most interesting of the graffiti, and the latter ones give the key to the others. They read "the great one of the mercenaries of the right hand Huy." We know from the papyrus of Tanis that there was a separation of troops into right (unami) and left (semhi) classes; and there it is very likely, as Horrack (Rev. Arch. 1862 ii, 268) and Brugsch (Aegyptologie 221) have observed, that a remembrance of this organization is implied by Herodotos when he states (II, 30) that Asmakh (or Askham) means "those that stand at the left hand of the king." This division into right and left appears also in the organization of the workmen of the Theban necropolis (e.g. Pap. Turin VII, 10), and is shown here by the title in the graffiti 14 to 18. It seems quite possible that the marks unami, right, and semhi, left, refer also to this military organization. In the fig. 20 the dates have been added "12th of 4th month of inundation" and 10 + x of the same; the black lines are written upside down to the red. To understand these graffiti we must remember that the necropolis of Thebes had several forts with garrisons, such are often named in business papers (Spiegelberg, Arbeiter … unter den Ramessiden). These garrisons may well have been near the funerary temples, which we know had their troops. May then these marks "right" and "left" have indicated the place of the soldiers, in the temple fortifications of the funerary temple of Merenptah, where they were found?

46. Plate X, Limestone Stele of Amenhotep III. This sculpture has been intentionally defaced in all parts relating to the god Amen, and then subsequently restored by Sety I. At the top under the solar disc, with wings and uraei, is twice repeated "The god of Edfu (Horus) the great god, he gives life and purity." Between the uraei is the cartouche Neb-maat-ra. Below this the whole is divided into two scenes, each with a standing figure of "Amen-ra, lord of heaven, he gives all life and all health," who receives the offerings of the king. On the right side the incised inscription (restored) states "Restoring of the monument made by the son of Ra Sety Merenptah (Sety I) for his father Amen." The restored parts are the figures of Amen, the names of Amen, the cartouches of Amenhotep in the lower scenes, and the restoration inscription. The names of offerings before the king are probably original.

Right Side. Above the king is "The good god, lord of the two lands, Neb-maat-ra son of Ra, his beloved [Amenhotep, prince of Thebes] gifted with life like Ra." Below is "Offering of wine to Amen; may he give the gift of life."

Left Side. Above the king is "The Good God, lord of the two lands Neb-maat-ra son of Ra, of his body [Amenhotep, prince of Thebes] lord of the diadems, beloved of Ra." Below is "Giving truth to the lord of the gift of life (?)."

Lower Part. Right Side. Amenhotep triumphing in his chariot over the negroes. "The Good God [Lord of the foreigners] master of the sword, strong in binding them, who ruins the offspring of the vile Kush, guiding her chiefs as living prisoners by the power of his father Amen." There are some curious forms of signs (as seger and sar), and a brevity of orthography caused by the short space available.

Left Hand. Amenhotep triumphing in his chariot over the Syrians. "The Good God, the golden Horus, shining in truth, beautiful (?) like the sunrise, great in power, mighty in terror, firm of heart like he who is in Thebes (Amen) prostrating Nehereni with his victorious sword." If it be correct to give the sign of the horse the value nefer, which it has in Ptolemaic times, it would be of interest to find it thus early under Amenhotep III. We know that the germs of the Ptolemaic system are to be found long before their development, as in the writing of mesdemt in the Ebers papyrus (26, 18).

At the base "… all foreign (?) lands, all men (rekhyt), all beings (ḥnememet), Nehreni, the vile Kush, the Upper and Lower Rethenu, are at the feet of this good god like Ra in eternity."

47. Plates XI, XII, Great Stele of Amenhotep III. At the top is the solar disc with wings and uraei, and on either side "The god of Edfu (Horus), the great god, lord of heaven." Between the uraei is the cartouche of Neb-maat-ra. Down the middle is "Restoring of the monument made by the king of Upper and Lower Egypt Men-maat-ra (Sety I) for his father Amen-ra king of all gods." This proves the restoration by Sety after the erasures of Amen by Akhenaten. The restored parts are the figures and names of Amen, the whole of the first 21 lines, parts of 7 lines lower, and the names of Amen in the lowest 3 lines.

Right Hand. The king is standing, "Offering libation to Amen that he may give the gift of life." Above is "The Good God, lord of the two lands, Neb-maat-ra, Son of Ra, lord of the diadems, hotep prince of Thebes. Great [by his] monuments, multiplying wonders, beloved by Amen, gifted with life." Over Amen is " I have given to thee all life and purity which is with me ; I have given to thee all joy of heart which is with me, Amen Ra, lord of heaven."

Left Hand. The king is standing, " Offering wine to Amen, that he may give the gift of life." Above is " The Good God, Lord of the two lands, Neb-maat- ra : son of Ra, lord of the diadems, Amenhotep prince of Thebes ; Image of Ra in the two lands, elected by himself, beloved of Amen, gifted with life." Over Amen is " I have given to thee all health which is in me ; I have given to thee all vigour which is in me, Amen-Ra, prince of Thebes."

Below this is the long inscription here translated. As the text and commentary will soon be published in the Recueil des Travaux, only the simple translation is here given.

Introduction (Protocol, Lines 1-2). |¹ Horus lives, the strong bull, brilliant with truth, the Unifier of both diadems, he who establishes the laws and calms both lands, the Golden-Horus, great in power, he who smites the Asiatics, the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Neb-maat-Ra, the Son of the Sun Amenlwtep the Prince of Thebes, beloved by Amon of Kamak, the chief god in Apet, gifted with life, whose heart rejoices, ruling both lands like Ra for ever |² the gracious god, the lord of joy of heart, he who watches over him who formed him, Amen, the king of the gods, he who makes his house great, he who makes his beauty content by doing what his ka loves. Thus his Majesty deigned to make very great monuments. Never occurred the like since the creation of the world. The Temple of Amenhotep III upon the West Bank of Thebes (lines 3-10). He made them |³ as his monument for his father Amen, the Lord of Karnak, making him a glorious house of the gods in the west of Thebes, a fortress of Eternity for eternity, of beautiful light-coloured sandstone, adorned (?) all over with gold ; its floor is inlaid with silver, |⁴ all its doors with electron, large and very great, splendid for ever, and ornamented with this very great monument, with many royal statues of granite from Elephantine, of wonderful stones, and all kinds of precious |⁵ stones, finished as works of eternity. Its height shines up to the heaven, its rays fall into the faces as the Sun when he shines in the early morning. It (i.e., the temple) is provided with a Stele of the King, which is adorned with gold and many precious stones. The |⁶ masts are erected before it adorned with electron. It is like the horizon of the sky when Ra rises in it. Its sea is full like the high Nile, the Lord of the fish and the birds pure in . . . , its store-house is full of male and female slaves |⁷ of the children of the princes of all lands, which his Majesty has captured. Its store- houses contain beauties without number. Its maga- zines are surrounded by Syrian settlements, which are settled by the children of princes. Its cattle are |⁸ like the sand on the seashore, its black oxen are millions from South and North Egypt. (?) There his Majesty took counsel with himself Q) like Ptah, with skilful mind, like him in the Southwall, planning favours for his father Amen-ra king of the gods, since he made him |⁹ a very great Pylon before the face of Amon. His beautiful name, which his majesty had given, is " Amon has received his bark of the gods " [All this is] a resting-place of the Lord of the Gods at the valley festival at the procession of Amon in the West, when he looks upon the gods of the West, that he may reward |¹⁰ his Majesty with life and purity. The Temple of Luxor (lines 10-16). King Amenhotep III who awakens (?) content- ment with the works of his father Amen Ra, the Lord of Karnak in the southern Apet, made of beautiful light-coloured sandstone, large and very great, |¹¹ increasing its beauty. Its walls are of electron, its floor of silver, all doors are adorned with . . . , its pylons reach to the sky, they join themselves with the stars. When men see them, |¹² they praise his Majesty. The King Neb-maat-Ra has appeased the heart of his father Amen of Karnak. To him every land is delivered, the Son of the sun Amenhotep, the ruler of Thebes, the splendour of Ra. . . . His majesty made another monument for his father Amen, he made him a castle (?) as an offering before the face of the southern Apet, |¹³ a place of recreation for my father at his beautiful festival. I have erected {saha) a great temple in its interior (?) {khenu), like Ra when he rises in the mountain of the Sun. It (i.e., the temple) is planted with all kinds of beautiful flowers. Nu is in its lake at all seasons |¹⁴ It has more wine than water, even as the Nile flows, the son of the lord of eternity (i.e., Osiris), who is rich, the seat which receives the THE INSCRIPTIONS. 25 tributes (?) of all lands, many gifts are brought before my father as tribute of all lands. He has given to me the lords of the lands of the south, |'5 the inhabi- tants of the south, and those of the north. Each is joined to his' neighbour. Their silver, their gold, their cattle, and all kinds of precious stones of their lands are in millions, hundreds of thousands, tens of thousands, and thousands. I have made it for my begetter in loyalty of heart (?) even as |"* he made me the Sun of the peoples of the Nine Bows (bar- barians), the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Neb- maat-ra, the image of the Sun, the Son of the Sun, Amenhotep the Prince of Thebes. Temple of Karnak (lines 16-23). I built another monument for my begetter Amon Ra in Karnak, who is firm on his throne, making him a great bark on the stream (with the name) " Amen Ra is in the User-hat," [even a] bark of new |'7 cypress wood which his Majesty had felled {shad) in the land of the god, and which has been drawn by the princes of all lands from the mountains of Retennu, very large and great. Never was anything like (it) done. Its body (i*) is inlaid with silver, and adorned |'^ all over with gold. The holy of holies (Naos) is of electron, and fills the whole earth. Its bows .... they unite the great atf crowns. Its snakes are on its sides. They are furnished with talismans behind themselves |'9. The masts are made firm opposite it (i.e., the holy of holies), adorned with electron, two great obelisks stand between them. It is altogether beautiful. The spirits of Pe exult before it, the spirits of Nechen praise it. The gods of the inundation of the north and south |^° embrace its beauty. Nu causes its bow to shine as the sun's disk shines in heaven, in order to make its beautiful procession at his (i.e., Amen's) festival of Apet, at its procession to the west of millions of millions of years. The King Amenhotep III |^' who watches over the glory of the King (lit. " to seek the brightness of the King "), has built another monument of Amen, making a very large pylon for him, before the face of Amen Ra of Karnak, adorned all over with gold. The shadow of the god is like a ram (?) set with real lapislazuli, adorned with gold, and with many precious stones. Never was the like made |^^ Its floor is inlaid with silver, the gates opposite it stand firm. The steles are of lapislazuli, one on each side. Its pylons reach up to the sky, and the four pillars of the sky. Its flag-masts shine up to the sky ^^ adorned with electron. His majesty brought the gold for it from the land of Karoi, during his first victorious campaign, when he beat the wretched Ethiopian, the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Neb maat Ra, the favourite of Ra, the Son of the Sun, Amen-hotep, the Prince of Thebes. Temple of Soleb (lines 23-25). I built other monuments for Amen. Its |'-» like has not been made. I built thee thy house of millions of years on the estate (?) of Amon Ra of Karnak, Kha- em-maat, the sublime of electron, the place of repose of my father at all of his festivals, which is excellently made of beautiful light-coloured sandstone, orna- mented all over with gold |=s. The ornaments of its floor are of silver, all its gates of gold. Two great obelisks are erected, one on each side, between which my father rises. I am in his suite |**. I have sacri- ficed to him thousands of oxen .... thighs. Speech of Amen : (lines 26-31). Speech of Amen-ra king of the gods : My Son out of my body, my favourite Neb-maat-ra, my living image, created by my limbs, born of Mut the Lady of Ashru in Thebes, the Lady of the peoples of the Nine Bows, who bred thee |^' as the only lord of men. My heart is greatly rejoiced when I see thy beauties. I do wonders for thy Majesty: Thou becomest young again, I have made thee the Sun of the Two Lands. I turn my face towards the SOUTH, (And) I do wonders 1=^ for thee : (For) I make the lords of Ethiopia hasten to thee With all their tributes on their backs. I turn my face towards the NORTH; (And) I do wonders for thee : (For) I make the lands come from the ends of Asia With all their tributes on their backs. They dedicate themselves to thee |»9 with their chil- dren. They come (lit. " one comes ") that thou mayest give them in return the breath of life. I turn my face towards the WEST, (And) I do wonders for thee : (For) I make thee seize the Tahenu (Libyans), They remember not, E They build this fortress in the name of |30 thy ("my") Majesty
Surrounded by a great wall,
Which towers to the sky,
Settled with the children of the princes of the Nubian Troglodytes.

I turn my face towards the sunrise
(And) I do wonders for thee:
(For) I make the lands of Punt come to thee
With all kinds |31 of pleasant spices of their lands,
To beg peace of thee,
And to breathe the breath, which thou givest,
King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Prince
Of the peoples of the Nine Bows, Lord of the two Lands,
Neb-maat-Ra, Son of the Sun, his favourite,
Amenhotep, Prince of Thebes; content
Is the heart of the gods with his monuments—
He is gifted with life, stability,
Purity (?) and health. His heart
Rejoices like the Sun for ever.

48. Plates XIII, XIV. Great stele of Merenptah. This has been engraved on the rough back of the stele of Amenhotep III., which was removed from his temple, and placed back outward, against the wall, in the forecourt of the temple of Merenptah. Owing to the rough surface, and the poor cutting, the readings in many places require careful examination. For this, there have been used (1) a hand copy by myself, taken at a disadvantage, as it lay face downward; (2) a paper squeeze, made by Prof. Petrie; (3) photographs of the stele, and of squeezes of it, made by E. Brugsch Bey, on a larger scale.

The scene at the top retains its original colouring of yellow, red, and blue. Amen is shewn giving a sword to the king, who is backed by Mut on one side and by Khonsu on the other. Of the inscription a copy was published in the Zeitschrift f. Ae. Sp. 1896 p. 1., with commentary by me. Hence only a plain translation is given here.

The Triumphal Song of Merenptah.

I. Protocol.

"In the year V., on the third day of the third month of the period of inundation, under the Majesty of Horus Ra, the strong bull, high in (?) truth, the King of Upper and Lower Egypt Banera Meriamen, son of Ra, Merenptah-Hetephermaat the increaser of power, raising the victorious sword of Horus-Ra, the strong bull, smiting the Nine Bows (foreigners) whose name endures to all eternity."

II. Merenptah Triumphator.

(a) Introduction.

"Report of his |2 triumph in all lands, proclamation to all lands together in order that may be known the glory of the deeds of victory of King Merenptah, the bull, the Lord of power,
Slaughtering his enemies,
Beautiful in the field of victory.
His attack is the sun,
Which frightens away the clouds that stand over Egypt.
He causes Egypt to see the sunbeams,
And overthrows the brazen mountain,
From the neck of the people;
He gives freedom to men who languish in imprisonment,
He avenges Memphis upon its enemies,
He causes Ptah Totunen to rejoice over his foes,
He opens the gates of the City of Walls (Memphis) which were closed,
He causes the temples to receive again their meal offerings,
King Merenptah, he who makes firm the hearts of hundreds of thousands and of millions."

(b) The Defeat of Libya.

"At the sight of him the breath of life enters their nostrils,
The land of Temehu (Libyan tribe) stands open during his lifetime,
Eternal terror is laid in the heart of the Mashawasha (Libyan tribe)
He makes the tribe of the Lebu withdraw, having invaded Egypt.
Great fear of Egypt is in their hearts.
They were come their face in front (?)
They were turned backward (?)
Their legs did not stay firm, but fled,
Their archers threw their bows away,
Their runners were weary of (?) marching,
They unbound their skins
And threw them to the ground.
Their sacks (?) were taken and poured out (?)
The wretched conquered Prince of Libya fled,
Under the protection of the night,
Alone, without the plume on his head.
His feet failed (?)
His women were taken away before his face,
The provisions (?) of his store (?) were plundered,
He had no water skin for his sustenance,
His brothers plotted his murder,
His officers fought with one another,
Their camp was burned, made to ashes (?)
His whole property became a booty of the soldiers.
Arriving in his country he lamented,
Every one in his country was ashamed to receive him (?)
Punished prince, evil fate, 'feather'! (?)
Called him all the inhabitants of his city.
He is in the power of the gods, the Lords of Memphis.
The ruler of Egypt has cursed his name,
Mauroy is an abomination to Memphis,
With every descendant of his family forever;
Banera-Meriamun pursues his children,
Merneptah-Hetephermaat is sent to him as a Fate,
He is become a proverb (?) for Libya.
The young men tell each other of his victories:
Since the time of Ra such has never happened to us! (?)
All old men tell to their sons:
Woe (?) over Libya!
One can no longer go pleasantly in the fields,
In a single day our walking has been made impossible,
In one year the Tehenu have been burned.
Sutech has turned his back to their princes,
Their settlements are wasted on account of him (?)
In those days one did not carry baskets, (?)
It was best to hide one's self,
One is safe (only) in the citadel (?).
The great ruler of Egypt,
Might and strength belong to him.
Who dares to fight, knowing his step!
A wretched and mad one is he who resists him.
He who transgresses his command.
Does not see the next day.
For Egypt is called since the reign of the gods.
The only daughter of Ra,
His son sitting upon the throne of Shu, the sun of
Ra.
His heart is not forbearing (.?) towards him.
Who outrages his inhabitants.
The eye of every god pursues him
Who abuses the
It brings up the most distant foes —
Thus they speak (sc. the old men)
The seers of the stars (i*)
Who know their meaning observing them say: (?)
A great wonder has come to pass in Egypt,
He has made him whom his hand reached,
A living prisoner.
The divine King triumphs (.') over his enemies before
Ra.
Mauroy, the evil doer, is dashed down (?) by every
god of Memphis.
He (sc. Ra) judges him in Heliopolis,
And the assembly of the gods declares him guilty
of his crimes.
The Lord of the All says:
Give the sword of victory.
To my true-hearted, good and mild son Merenptah,
Who cares for Memphis (?)
And defends Heliopolis (?)
The cities closed shall be opened again.
He shall free many enchained in each district (?)
And give sacrifices to the temples (again).
He shall bring incense before the god again.
He shall bring back (?) again to the great their
property,
And let the poor return (?) into their cities. —
The Lords of Heliopolis say to their son Merenptah:
May a long lifetime be his lot,
For he has defended the oppressed (?) of every
foreign land.
Egypt shall be given to him as the heritage (?)
Of him, who has placed him (?)
As administrator for himself forever (?).
(For) his strength is its people.
Behold one is sitting safe in the time of the strong (?)
The breeze of life is on his arms (?)
The following is told:
Mauroy the wretched conquered prince of Libya
came.
To attack the walls of the Prince (Memphis),
And [of] every (god) (?) who lets his son be brilliant
upon his seat.
The King of Upper and Lower Egypt Merenptah. —
Ptah speaks to the prince of Libya:
All his crimes shall be collected.
And shall fall back upon his head;
He shall be given into the hand of Merenptah,
That he may cause him to spit out.
What he has swallowed as a crocodile.
As the hastener brings up the hastening (?),
The Lord {i.e. Pharoah) shall seize him,
2 E
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38
THE INSCRIPTIONS.
That he may know (?) his power.
Amon shall bind him with his hand,
And give him over to his Ka in Hermonthis,
King of Upper and Lower Egypt Merenptah. —
Great joy shall rule in Ketnet,
Exultation shall rush forth from the cities of
Tamera;
They shall tell of the victories,
Which Merenptah has won over the Tehenu, crying:
How dear is he the prince of the victory!
How great is the king among the gods!
How happy is he the Lord who commands!
One is talking:
Come far out upon the roads,
There is no fear in the heart of men.
The castles are abandoned . . .
The wells opened (again),
The messengers return home {})
The battlements lie calm in the sun (?)
Until their guards awake.
The soldiers lie in sleep
The Nawt and the Tektina are in the marsh they
like,
The cattle are let on the pasture (?) (again).
No one fears (.') to go on the high Nile.
By night resounds not the cry: (?)
Stop! or come, come! (?) in the mouth of the
people.
One goes with singing (?)
There is no more the lament of sighing man.
The villages are settled anew.
He who has tilled his crop will eat it."
(c) Tlte Defeat of the other Enemies of Egypt.

"(For) Ra has turned himself again to Egypt;
He is bom to avenge it,
The King of Upper and Lower Egypt Banera
Meriamen, sun of Ra Merenptah-Hetephermaat.
The princes bend down, saying ' Hail! ' (oi^b')
Not one raises his head among the Nine'^ows.
Devastated is Tehenu, ^
Kheta is quieted,
Seized is t]ie Kanaan with every evil,
Led away is Askelon,
Taken is Gezer,
Yenoam is brought to nought,
The people of Israel is laid waste,—their crops are
not,
Khor (Palestine) has become as a widow for Egypt,
All lands together—they are in peace.
Every one who roamed about
Is punished by King Merenptah, gifted with life,
like the sun every day."
49. Plate XV. Stele of Duaui-er-neheh. This unfinished stele of limestone was found in the ruins of the temple of Amenhotep II. The following is the transliteration: Top, Left Hand. Ari patiu hdti semer da n merut. Mer peruer Dudin-er-neheh, dtef Benda, inntef Mesutd. Top, Right Hand. Uden dkhet neb nefret udbet n mer per [uer Dudin-er-neheh]. Long Inscription. Ari patiu hdti . . . ti bdti teken em setni nd res tep (?) her neb em bek Iter held dakhut en nebf set hen n setni her menkh dbf er drt mekru thesutf; mer per uer Diidui-er-neheli mad-kheru. Hak drf em hetep dd setni dkhet neb nefret nezmet sekhep udb her heteptek shemst{u)k an kauk er sutk udbet r setk ent Ra-kreret em lietep em hetep kher neter da, vier per uer Dudui-er-neheh mad-kheru. Ezdef kher remthet unenyu ezdd enthen khepret nd her drind em's/tems dty shemsnd su her mu her ta khet khaset resit mehtit en du sepd em setp-sa drnd zedet-nef menkh{a) sekhent kud er mdtd neb erddkud em hdt semeruf ddnd da er net neheh drnd mereret remthet heseset enteru send ta em sdh neb hesyu en neter nefer kdhnd tet her rensen dru nd hetep dd setni md nu drnd tep ta dnuk sdh en drtnef zed nefret uhem mereret nefer pu drt her dry{u)t. Translation. "The hereditary prince, the most beloved friend, the great major-domo Duaui-er-neheh. His father Benaa. His mother Mesut. Offering of all good and pure things for the [great] major-domo [Duaui-er-neheh.] I' The hereditary prince, the treasurer of the king of Upper and Lower Egypt, who approaches the king of Upper Egypt, the only one who watches while all else are tired of seeking the glory of his Lord, )' whom the king has raised up by reason of the ability of his heart to care for his levy(?), the great major-domo Duaui-er-neheh, the deceased. Thou art going down |3 with the royal offering, consisting of all good and sweet things, the sacred linen (?) is brought to thy sacrifices, thou art followed by thy kas to thy pure places, to thy places of Ra-kreret, |* in peace, in peace, with the great god, the great major-domo Duaui-er-neheh, the deceeised. He speaks to the men who are living: I tell you what happened |5 to me when I was follower of the king. I followed him by water and by land, through the countries both south and north. There / X Page:Six Temples at Thebes 1896.djvu/39 Page:Six Temples at Thebes 1896.djvu/40